Question

Paragraph 4 of the excerpt mainly reveals .

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.—Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Answer 1

Paragraph 4 of the excerpt reveals that when a government becomes destructive to the protection of unalienable rights, it is the people's right and duty to alter or abolish it, justifying the American colonies' decision to seek independence.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fourth paragraph of the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence primarily reveals the philosophy that when a government fails to protect the unalienable rights of its people, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness or becomes destructive to these ends, it is not only the right but also the duty of the people to alter or abolish that government.

This reflects the Enlightenment idea that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and emphasizes the necessary conditions that may lead to rebellion and the establishment of a new government. The paragraph clearly establishes the justification for the American colonies' decision to seek independence from Britain, highlighting a history of abuses and usurpations that led to the conclusion that British rule had become a tyranny over these states.